Monday, October 24, 2011

BLT Bites

I suppose I am a good example of the average American. My heritage is a mixed bag of goods.

My father's family (from Wisconsin) is of German and Polish descent. Although, don't tell any of them that I can't stand sauerkraut. That's almost sacrilegious to utter aloud.

My Momma's family (from Alabama and Florida) is part Native American and part Welsh and I'm pretty sure we have lots of other flavors thrown in there as well for good measure. I think it's because of my mixed heritage that I love to learn about different regions and cultures and the food that is popular in those areas. And what better place to learn about different food styles than in the good ole U.S. of A? We have so many different types of regional cooking. There are different types of cooking even within the same state. So I was really excited to be asked to review a cookbook that dealt with regional cooking.

This particular region being the Prairie states or as it also known, the midwest.

It is the kind of food my Dad and my husband Gene grew up eating. The book is entitled Prairie Home Cooking by Judith M. Fertig and is published by The Harvard Common Press.There are so many types of recipes in this book to choose from. Traditional German, Russian and Polish meat and potatoes meals, to Italian influenced meals, Native American-inspired to Amish and Mennonite fare. And surprisingly, I went for an appetizer to share with y'all. I know you were probably thinking meat and potatoes or some sort of apple strudel but it was actually this little recipe in the middle of the book that caught my eye.

BLT Bites

This recipe makes 16. You may want to grab an extra pair of hands to make these and double or even triple the recipe. I think I ate about 8 of these all by myself. I've made my notes in parentheses below.

Ingredients

16 cherry tomatoes

1/2 pound apple-smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)

1/3 cup minced green onions, white and green parts

2 tbsp. minced romaine lettuce

(Be sure to get the larger size cherry tomatoes or you'll have a very difficult time stuffing these. They are sometimes called cocktail tomatoes. Also, I just used hickory smoked bacon because that is easier for me to find at my local grocery store. Final note, I think regular ole iceberg lettuce would work fine in this recipe)

Directions

Cut a thin slice off the stem end of each tomato, and scoop out and discard the pulp.

Drain the tomatoes, cut side down, on paper towels for 10 minutes.Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Stir gently to mix well.

Spoon this mixture into the tomatoes.

Refrigerate, covered, for at least one hour, but not overnight.

Serve chilled. Serves 4.

Cook's Notes: The flavor of these are really amazing. I just love them. The only difficulty I had was getting them all to stay upright and not fall over. I found that if I used a smaller plate, it helped to balance them. I was afraid to cut anything off the bottom of the tomatoes in fear of the filling seeping through the end. But if you use a large enough tomato, you may be able to do that. If anyone has any other tips or suggestions for keeping these upright, I'd love to hear them!

Update: I found that cutting the bottom of the tomato, rather than the stem end of the tomato helped to keep them upright.You could maybe even make this into a BLT dip. Instead of stuffing the tomatoes. Try dicing the tomatoes and add them straight into the mixture and serve with your favorite cracker. Also, these are not an appetizer that can be made the evening before. But, I think you could make the filling a day ahead of time. Just be sure that you put the filling in an airtight container with locking lid. This is a great dish to make with a friend!

I was at a party where they served the BLT bites & they were delish! I wondered how to make them & now I know. If I could have any meal right now I would chose to have the Sour cream noodles that my Aunt Annie made along with her ND/German kuchen for desert. Oh & my mom's Küchela (fried buns) she would make on bread making day.

I stumbled across a Cuban/Caribbean shredded beef recipe called Ropa Vieja (meaning old clothes) that is cooked in the crockpot. Oh my gosh, can you say HEAVENLY? If anyone is interested, I've posted the link below. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as my family does.

I love those appetizers! BLTs are an American standard and so sharing them this way is natural. I wish I could give you advice about making them stand up, but tomatoes tend to be obnoxious that way. :)

Oh, there is nothing better than Carolina barbecue with the all the fixin's. I'm loving the pulled pork, hush puppies, hummingbird cake; the works.

I love beef brisket BBQ (when smoked to perfection) from Texas (lived there when I was in high school), but I grew up with a Mom that was a Montana rancher's daughter so meat and potatoes was common fare - and delicious, too! I now live in Arizona, and Mexican seems to be my husband's favorite...so we have that quite often!

What a fantastic appetizer! I can't wait to try these. Thank you so much!

Gosh, favorite regional meal. I am from Wisconsin as well but I am not your traditional beer and cheese girl. I am going to go with sliced ham on a roll for Sunday dinner with german potato salad and a dill pickle. Yum!

I would absolutely love to win the cookbook. At the moment, I would have to say my favorite regional meal is BBQ food from TX. Although my family is from the mid-west which is why I love your blog so much!I have made these BLT bites for years. They are always a hit. When I am lazy and want to make them at home for just me and the hubby, we simply chop the tomatoes and add it to the mayo mixture, then serve them with Wheat Thins. YUM!

Oh man those look incredible! I love this recipe, not only would this be a great party snack but I seriously think I could eat them for lunch all by myself... haha!!!

As for my favorite regional cuisine... I'd have to say it's probably Carne Asada, a thinly sliced steak marinated in different mexican herbs and spices and lemon/lime juice, and cooked to perfection. Living near the border of Mexico a lot of our cuisine comes from there! And it's GOOD!

I love the New England Sunday suppers my family used to have, with roast turkey, baked ham, or pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, at least three knds of hot vegetables, homemade rolls, and pie for dessert. My grandmother always cooked more than enough just in case someone stopped by!

Living in South Florida, and having easy access to fresh seafood, some of our favorite recipes involve some type of seafood. Our absolute favorite has to be "Seafood Paella"! YUM-O! Paella originated in Spain, but, here in South Florida we make a mean Paella, preferably cooked in a large heavy pot and although making a good Paella is a laborious task, for us seafood lovers, it is well worth it. ♥

My grandma's "porcupine balls"-meatballs with rice and seasonings and served with tomato sauce. I guess that would be midwestern ;) Would love this cookbook as that's what I grew up on as well! Amanda C, email is lil_manda_t76@yahoo.com

I've made these before and they are so yummy. The recipe I used said to flip them and do the slice on the bottom. The stem side helps them stand and since they're small you really don't taste of feel the stem. Hope that helps.

I would love to win this cookbook! I'd have to say I'd love to have my Mother's cooking again! Mom's cooking is always the best! Since my Mom is gone, i'd have to say I prefer my mother-in-laws Chicken Chow Mein over all others!!!rhondaree1958@yahoo.com

I'm from the midwest and guess I'd have to say it's fresh green beans/red taters/ham simmered together. MMM! Oh Brandie - I've got a few terrific recipes that might make you change your mind about sauerkraut! The only recipe my husband insisted I add to my cookbook is a pizza topped with sauerkraut. Kids love it! =) I'm gonna work on changing your mind....Have a good one Friend!

YUm, YUM, YUM!! I could eat the whole bunch!! In fact I would love some now for breakfast!!

Thanks for the chance to win the cookbook. I love other cultures and love food from many countries too. I love eating out at different Ethnic Restaurants!! Greek, Chinese, Italian, German, Thai, etc, etc. I just love to eat!

Ok one of my favorites to make is Pulled Pork- made it last night

One of my favorites to eat is FRIED Chicken but I don't make it I eat it out at places that serve yummy mashed potatoes and green beans. I live in the South.

Growing up on a farm in Oklahoma my favorite meal was the Sunday roast beef with potatoes and carrots. Now my favorite is Chicken fried steak and potatoes and gravy. I would love to win this cookbook. carrotcake55@sbcglobal.net

Growing up on a farm in Oklahoma my favorite meal was the Sunday roast beef with potatoes and carrots. Now my favorite is Chicken fried steak and potatoes and gravy. I would love to win this cookbook. carrotcake55@sbcglobal.net

I moved to Colorado last Fall so I've been enjoying trying new Midwestern foods. We've even been trying some from the Little House Cookbook lately. However, I am from NC and have been aching to find a good Carolina BBQ recipe, my favorite food from "back home"!

Wish I would have had the BLT Bites recipe this summer when I had oodles of cherry tomatoes! I'll save it for next year! I'm from Wisconsin! Love our cheese and Beer so, my favorite is Beer Cheese Soup! Love your recipes!

Sweet tea, fried okra or fried tomatoes, BBQ, coleslaw, tater boats, a dill pickle with watermelon for dessert is the perfect East Tennessee meal!! I know that's a LOT, but cooking for a crowd-you have to have it all!! Would love a new cookbook for new ideas! Love to try new recipes!!

So this past weekend I made these for a friends brunch. I couldnt find any good size cherry or grape tomatoes so i used regular ones and just got the smallest i could find. They were UHH-MAZING! Everyone loved them and everyone left with your blog address and the recipe :) They were all mad when they were gone! Thanks!

I think these would make a great summertime appy too. As far as keeping them upright not sure but I'd spear each with a toothpick to help pick them up. Especially in a situ with guests where I'd want to touch the adjoining ones as little as poss.

My husband is a BLT fanatic so I was anxious to give this a try. I ended up just dicing the tomatoes and mixing them with everything else and served on King's Hawaiian sweet bread like a sandwich and it was delish!

Would love to have this book. I come from the South, then too The Midwest area, and now Tx, Have made the blt a couple of times and they were always a hit. Would love to try the entire book....being greedy.